About the activities of Rossotrudnichestvo
The Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) was established in September 2008 in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 6, 2008 No. 1315.

The activities of Rossotrudnichestvo and its foreign missions are aimed at implementing the state policy of international humanitarian cooperation, promoting the dissemination of an objective understanding of modern Russia abroad. At present Rossotrudnichestvo is represented in 80 countries of the world by 97 offices: 73 Russian centers of science and culture in 62 countries, 24 representatives of the Agency as part of embassies in 21 countries.

The priority area of activity of Rossotrudnichestvo is the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Agency actively interacts with international and regional organizations created by the Russian Federation jointly with the Commonwealth countries, develops and implements programs of assistance to the Commonwealth countries together with other departments, and develops federal target programs.

Rossotrudnichestvo supports and promotes the Russian language abroad. Thousands of people are currently taking Russian language courses at Rossotrudnichestvo offices in many countries of the world. The Agency creates conditions for its practical application, as well as for education in Russian.

Active work is underway to promote Russian education, the achievements of Russian science, and expand cooperation between educational institutions of partner countries. Every year, Rossotrudnichestvo representative offices participate in the selection of foreign students to Russian universities. Great attention is also paid to work with graduates of Russian (Soviet) universities, of which there are more than 500 thousand worldwide.

Promotion of Russian education abroad is the most important state task.
Work in this direction is determined by the Concept of promoting Russian education on the basis of Rossotrudnichestvo offices abroad, approved on March 27, 2014. The concept is aimed at forming a system of effective measures to promote Russian higher education abroad, as well as creating mechanisms for information and coordina- tion support of the activities of universities in the development of international relations.

Much attention is paid to supporting Russian schools abroad, the corresponding Concept was approved on November 4, 2015.
The concept defines:
  • priority goals and objectives of the state policy of the Russian Federation in positioning general education in Russian in the international educational space;
  • approaches to ensuring access for citizens of the Russian Federation, foreign citizens and stateless persons to receive general education in Russian abroad;
  • organizations that carry out educational activities in the field of general education abroad as Russian schools abroad (4 types);
  • types of state support for organizations carrying out general educational activities in Russian and (or) in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard in foreign countries (informational, methodological, logistical, organization of vocational education and additional vocational education for employees of Russian schools abroad).
Every year Rossotrudnichestvo implements projects and programs aimed at exporting Russian education, promoting international scientific cooperation, attracting foreign citizens to study in Russia, as well as interacting with graduates of Russian (Soviet) universities.

Representative offices of Rossotrudnichestvo — Russian centers of science and culture abroad — are platforms for holding events in the field of education, establishing contacts between Russian scientists and their foreign colleagues, youth cooperation, as well as events for the selection of graduates of foreign schools to study at Russian universities within the framework of quotas, allocated by the Government of the Russian Federation.

Partners in this area are the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Russian educational and research organizations, associations of foreign graduates of Russian (Soviet) universities and foreign students studying in Russia, etc.

Ensuring access to Russian education, educational cooperation between Russia and foreign countries is being implemented in accordance with one of the sustainable development goals "Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and encouraging lifelong learning opportunities for all."
Pavel Shevtsov worked in the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation in 2015–2017 — first as Deputy Director of the Department for Interaction with the Bodies of the Customs Union and Economic Cooperation with the CIS Countries, then Deputy Director of the Department for Economic Cooperation with the CIS Countries and the Development of Eurasian Integration — Head of the Project Activities division. In 2017–2018 — Deputy Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in Belarus. Since August 21, 2018 — Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo. He supervises international cooperation in the field of education, science, support of the Russian language and Russian schools abroad.